POR2GAL From Canada, joined Feb 2005, 62 posts, RR: 0 Posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 9063 times:
Hi all,
Does anyone know of or heard of some Pilots deciding to break a rather important in-flight rule/law, by having a smoke in the cockpit, or elsewhere in the aircraft for that matter?
I'm curious after seeing this photo (excellent photo BTW):
I'm pondering why there is a pack of cigs sitting in the Captain's storage, in a rather "easily accessible" manner.
If the Captain had no intention of "accessing" his cigs during the flight (in an A340 no less, probably a long haul), why would he/she even have it in the cockpit like that?
Zvezda From Lithuania, joined Aug 2004, 9660 posts, RR: 60 Reply 1, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 9002 times:
AFAIK, the FAA still allows smoking in the cockpit, though in the US nearly all airlines have policies prohibiting it. WN was (perhaps still is?) an exception because Herb Kelleher suffers from a serious nicotine addiction.
Burnsie28 From United States, joined Aug 2004, 4649 posts, RR: 10 Reply 5, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 8907 times:
Any US aircraft flying within the United States smoking is prohibited, once airlines decided to go all non-smoking, they may have just made it a law. As for smoking in the cockpit in that pic, I sure as hell wouldnt want to fly anymore, could you imagine how bad that would be, let alone how much of a health risk.
PhilSquares From Ireland, joined Mar 2004, 3555 posts, RR: 53 Reply 6, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 8873 times:
First of all, the pilot, in this case the Captain, wouldn't get fired. That isn't an offense that warrants that at all.
Yes, smoking is prohibited by all airlines. However, then there is the real world. Just as some pax will try to sneak a smoke, some pilots will too.
I don't smoke, never have, but grew up with parents who were extremely heavy smokers, so I do sympathize. I have had pilots ask if they could grab a quick smoke, especially on the 14+ hour flights.
Sure it's a health risk, but being 50+, what isn't these days. I'd rather have someone who can concentrate on the flying versus someone who is craving for a smoke.
PhilSquares From Ireland, joined Mar 2004, 3555 posts, RR: 53 Reply 10, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 8774 times:
POR2GAL,
Would you be worried if you found out your FO wasn't focused? I suggest you keep that in mind. As a Captain, it is my perrogative to make those kinds of decisions. That's what I get paid for. Personally, I think chewing tobacco is just about the worst substance know to man. I'd take 2nd hand smoke any day.
Ktachiya From Japan, joined Sep 2004, 1492 posts, RR: 1 Reply 11, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 3 days 6 hours ago) and read 8686 times:
Hmm........
Well if this policy holds true for US Airspace, what would happen in countries like Japan or Korea?
There, smoking is almost like a norm. I have heard of some strict policies but I always wondered if pilots didn't smoke in the cockpit.
I am a smoker myself and trust me, its a pain on 10 or 11 hour flights. I have a horrible headache by the time I get off the ac. I don't know about pilots but if they are originally smokers and they are concentrating that much, I would reckon that some of them will DESPERATELY want to smoke.
L1011Lover From Germany, joined Oct 2003, 676 posts, RR: 9 Reply 12, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 3 days 6 hours ago) and read 8659 times:
Of course they do smoke... I know of a lot of pilots who are heavy smokers and they smoke in the cockpit... of course most of them ask their co-pilots if they would mind...
keep in mind... once the doors are closed and the aircraft is airborne it is kind of autonomous... and the cpt. is the big guy up there...
Gabrielz From United States, joined May 2004, 45 posts, RR: 1 Reply 13, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 3 days 6 hours ago) and read 8621 times:
Umm, to reiterate a previous post:
FAA regulations do not prohibit pilots from smoking in the cockpit, nor the crew from smoking in crew rest areas. Only pax areas are smoke free, according to the regs.
The airlines have their own rules about what's allowed vis-a-vis smoking in the cockpit, but it is not the law.
As for smoking rules on non-US carriers in US airspace: yes, US regulations extend to non-US carriers whose origin or destination is the US. Aeroflot tried to get an exemption to this rule a few years back and pretty much failed. In the EU, I believe the rule is that scheduled carriers may not allow smoking, though charter carriers may (at their discretion) - but there was some talk that this rule had been amended.
L1011Lover From Germany, joined Oct 2003, 676 posts, RR: 9 Reply 14, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 3 days 6 hours ago) and read 8597 times:
Even in the US Non-US charter carriers are still allowed to offer smoking flights... or at least they still were allowed about 2 years back... Condor still offered Smoking Flights to the US until December 2003 I think!
Cornish From United Kingdom (England), joined Feb 2005, 7884 posts, RR: 53 Reply 15, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 8417 times:
I've flown jump seat on a couple of Mediterranean based airlines where the pilots spent almost all of the flight smoking !
Just when I thought I could see light at the end of the tunnel, it was some B*****d with a torch bringing me more work
Doona From Sweden, joined Feb 2005, 2946 posts, RR: 18 Reply 16, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 8378 times:
I get the feeling that perhaps somewhere in the CIS there might be a flightcrew or two lighting up in the cockpit. As far as I know, most airlines there don't yet prohibit smoking onboard A/C... Plus, for those of you who have tried Russian cigarettes, they're not your marlboro or camel or whatever! They're packed to the brim with tar and about three times the amount of neuro-toxins that we speak so ill of in the western world... So who would like their pilot sucking down those during a heavy crosswind final approach???
Sure, we're concerned for our lives. Just not as concerned as saving 9 bucks on a roundtrip to Ft. Myers.
BALandorLivery From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2005, 287 posts, RR: 1 Reply 17, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 8331 times:
SU From Russia, joined Apr 2004, 341 posts, RR: 2 Reply 20, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 3 days ago) and read 8075 times:
Took a flight from Kiev to Moscow Domodedovo on Sibir last year in November. It was Tu-154B-2. During taxiing, after we landed, the flight engineer came out of the cockpit and HUGE cloud of smoke came out with him. (I was sitting in the first row and could see it) and on my way out of the plane I looked into the opened cockpit door and both pilots were smoking right there...
Lindy From , joined today!, posts, RR: Reply 22, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 7908 times:
LOT Polish Airline pilots do smoke in the cockpit on transatlantic flights. And sometimes flying LOT you will get flight attendant that stinks like she just eate ashtray.
Xpat From United States, joined Nov 2004, 622 posts, RR: 0 Reply 23, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 7882 times:
Back in 1999 I was on an MH flight LAX-NRT-KUL and smoking was allowed. At that time MH permitted smoking on flights to and from Japan. On the way back, KUL-TPE-LAX smoking was not permitted.
Not sure what their policy is now.
The only thing we have to fear is the sky falling on our heads. -Asterix
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